1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a coke oven door seal and more specifically to a retrofit coke oven door seal to replace existing coke oven door seals that have become ineffective due to normal use. The retrofit coke oven door seal includes a leaf spring and seal arrangement and a unique mounting structure to enable the existing seal on a coke oven door to be easily removed and replaced by the present invention without modification or alteration to the door body or the existing refractories thus making improvements (in emission control) on existing doors in emission control by using a relatively simple structure which is cost effective. The retrofit seal for coke oven doors includes a mounting structure attached to the periphery of the diaphragm plate normally provided on a coke oven door together with fastening devices securing a leaf spring and seal assembly in a manner to enable easy removal and replacement thereof if necessary. The leaf spring and seal assembly includes an angled seal strip of metallic construction and a leaf spring engaging the outer inclined surface thereof to provide a constant sealing pressure to urge the seal strip against the door jamb surface with the angle of the sealing strip providing for elevational flexibility with the angled portion of the seal strip enabling the seal strip to conform with the jamb surface which it engages without requiring the seal strip to maintain any of its original axial planes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Coke oven doors are normally provided with a seal strip oriented in perpendicular relation to the door jamb surface with the sealing strip being mounted in a groove in an edge element secured to a diaphragm plate with plungers biasing the sealing strip into sealing engagement with the door jamb. During use, the sealing strip will harden, warp and become ineffective to seal the coke oven door. Existing coke oven door structures and seals provided thereon are known in various prior patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,045 discloses one type of coke oven door and seal. Our prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,055 discloses a coke oven door with a leaf spring and seal assembly provided thereon and U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,259 discloses another type of coke oven door seal. Also, the prior patents cited in the above-mentioned patents and discussed in the specification accompanying the above patents also disclose various structural arrangements associated with coke oven doors. Conventional coke oven doors which have a seal strip perpendicular to the door jamb surface as discussed above encounter problems of maintaining an effective seal over a long period of time and are difficult to repair.